What's so bad about Imperial Beach? (San Diego, Oceanside: for sale, rent, condo)

[Shnikee]

Is Imperial Beach just dirtier or not a pretty as la jolla or pb or whatever? Is it really dangerous? Just wondering what the actual problem is...

[jksouthbay88]

Not really dangerous but more like dead.Nothing to do,nothing to see.Very dirty as well.

[magnifico]

So I'm in IB once and I need some smokes so I pull into this liquor store by the Office Lounge. I go in and get the smokes and some junkfood and other **** and go back out and hop in my truck. I rummage around for a minute and look up as I'm getting ready to pull out. This guy walks out of the store and as our eyes met I could tell this guy had plans on his mind. I'm not talking about sex but he was thinking fast. I go, hop in if you need a ride 2-3 blocks but Don't gimme no ****. So he walks over to the truck and goes, you wanna buy a .44 Magnum Colt Blackhawk? I started laughing and he goes, think I could get a ride? He hadn't heard me and now I was really cracking up. So he hops in the truck and we take off down 13th and before I go a block he's tellin me that if I knew anybody who was lookin for **** it was my lucky day cause he'd hook me right up. But first he had to find out if they got arrested cause the place just got raided. So I hook a right and we cruised by and he wasn't lying cause the place was still crawling with cops. I stop down about 3 blks around the corner and said I'd call if I needed anything. He left the name and number on the seat and said don't forget I got that .44 Mag for sale. He jumped out of the truck, bummed a smoke, and disappeared into the hood. Nope, I never called them.

[FunkyMonk]

Any part of SD down by the border is pretty rough. That's a good guideline to follow. That's where most of the gang activity and border-related bad stuff happens.

The last time I went to IB I got a drink with someone I know who lives in that area. I saw some guys with tattooed faces, a couple guys wearing swastikas and white power stuff on their jackets, and lots of other questionable characters who were obvioudly trying to claim or represent some gang or group. But who knows, maybe these are nice people right?

[Huckleberry3911948]

IB was OK.

[msdebagain]

we live in IB and have since the 60's. its gotten better down by the beach, (probably 4th street on up).

[jt1775]

IB is a little grittier than most of SD. There are some really nice homes on and near the beach though. The area is a little funny in that you can go down the street, see a dilapidated shack with old rusted out cars in the yard next to a beautiful, newly redone house with perfect landscaping. I guess that is 'out with the old, in with the new.'

The other problem is that the Tijuana River, which runs thru Mexico, and terminates in US waters is extremely polluted and frequently causes beach closures in IB. It is a shame, because I would move there if that problem did not exist. I believe anyone who buys there now will see their property value increase substantially over a 10 year period.

[msdebagain]

^^^true. most of the newer homes, are on the side streets.

[ib_surfer1488]

I've lived in Ib my whole life and it's fine. Magnifico's story must have taken place in the mid-90's because skinheads have been long gone in IB for some time. The biggest problem is bored, unsupervised teenagers getting into fights and tagging on any and everything. Besides that it's a nice quiet town, not like Pb or OB at all.


Lots of weed and lenient cops. Probably why it's so laid back and boring.

[kcda]

We've never felt "in danger" in IB but it is a bit "grittier" than other beach towns in San Diego. A friend of ours recently rented a room at the Sea Coast Inn for only $100 a night, that sleeps 6 (w/kitchen). It had a pool and was right on the beach. We had a great time watching the lifeguards work out. But, what a dump! Normally they rent in M.B. but the rooms were 1/3 the cost and thought "a beach is a beach". The Sea Coast Inn will be torn down after this summer to build a new hotel/condo so maybe the area is looking up? I'm convinced that this area is undervalued and eventually will revitalize and go way up. Just as coastal Oceanside did.